By Tucker Henderson

Reporter

While the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center soft-launched its Capital Campaign last year with a hefty donation to the project, they recently announced that they are moving to the next step of the process in an open house which took place last Friday, April 17.

“The idea was just to invite people into the space to learn more about what we have coming up relating to the Capital Campaign,” said Executive Director, Betsy Roder. “We’ve been intentional about doing the internal work first, so that we’d be fully ready to go public. We wanted to make sure we had done the research, done the work, and our goal was to get to at least 50 percent of the financial goal before we went public and we are now at 65 percent.”

Part of the open house kick-off event was not only to promote the fundraising and excitement for the project, but also to let the community know what will be going on around the historic building in the upcoming months. Work has already begun on the front facade of the building, where the sidewalk will be closed off for the spring while crews work to install steel supports as well as a complete renovation of the front face of the building.

“We wanted to be proactive about what’s going to be happening and just to get them excited about the project that’s coming,” said Roder. “We invited people to join us and be part of the fundraising efforts as well as to share their thoughts with us for what will be possible. We have some ideas of what the addition will look like, but we’re also inviting people to share their thoughts.”

While Phase I of the Capital Campaign involves tuck-pointing on the brick building, which was completed last fall, and upcoming renovations to the front facade, Phase II of the project will include an expansion in the ballpark of 1,600 square feet on the east side of the building. This area is slated to host the gift shop as well as a drive-through coffee shop.

“We’ve been here on Main Avenue for 34 years and we really believe that we’re here as an art center and a cultural center, but a community center too and a place where people can gather and connect and a place where everyone can belong. We want everybody to feel welcome here, that’s always been a goal of ours. So this just continues those efforts to invite people in and then be a part of what the future looks like.”

With a space for sharing dreams and ideas for what the updated and expanded Cultural Center will look like, a variety of information and activities were available to learn and read more about the project at the kick-off event. Renderings and design concepts were available along with guided tours of the space, energy-efficiency educational information for how the new windows and upgraded infrastructure will benefit the building as well as artistic and connective opportunities.

Though the Cultural Center will be open this spring and will continue programming into the summer, a temporary wall will be built in order to restore the front facade, making access restricted to the back door during the renovation. A grant from the Clean Energy Resource Team (CERT) will help fund the installation of new windows for energy efficiency.

“We’ll have a temporary display of a community mural project and educational display panels,” said Roder. “We had a call for art for the murals, so local artists submitted their designs and Megan has been preparing the plywood that they’re being painted on. Community members have been invited to come in and paint and it will be ongoing.

“We’re excited about being able to embrace the community in that way too and be able to provide some educational information,” she continued. “For this project, just understanding how big of an effect windows can have on energy efficiency of the place. Also making sure the art is protected, so there’s some UV protection in the new windows.”

The timeline for the front facade restoration, which will begin in early-May, is hoped to be completed by the time of the Cultural Center’s annual Think-Off which is set for Friday, June 12. Exploratory work has already begun as workers discern the best plan of action for the historic building, but the true construction elements are still about a month away.

“That should be totally complete during the summer,” said Roder. “We will continue to program during that time—we’re going to avoid any really large events—but we will be open. Then our hope is to move on to Phase II, which is the expansion, and break ground on that in the fall. We do need to make some more progress on our fundraising before we can confirm that, but we’re hopeful. That phase will take about 12-18 months to complete.

“One of the parts that I’m most excited about the expansion is the elevator,” she continued. “That will make the building fully accessible to everyone. I’m excited about being able to serve more people, to expand our programming, to have more spaces for people to gather. For artists to come and work, there will be more studio spaces, more education spaces for workshops and classes, and there will just be more spaces for people to come and hang out in our space.”

Among the additions that the expansion will bring will be a listening library of artists who have performed at the Cultrual Center, a kids area upstairs, and a technologically-connected meeting room. Currently, the Cultural Center’s board of directors meet at the library as the center’s space does not accommodate their own needs.

“We’re very excited about that,” said Roder. “It feels very mission-focused. Our mission is about creativity, community vitality, and lifelong learning in the arts and this hits on all of those things. It makes us more able to fulfill that mission. The vision is about connecting people with artists and rich cultural experiences, celebrating the local, being a window to the world. It hits on all of that, it just grows our capacity to serve people better and be more of a resource to the community, so we’re very excited.”

With this Capital Campaign comes fundraising efforts for Phase II construction, but it also comes with a continued need for operational funding as well. The Cultural Center will remain open and offering programming during the entire stage of construction, which means that their operations costs and financial needs still need to be met as they transition into a new stage of existence.

“We’re getting donations for the Capital Campaign, so we’re getting a really positive response. It has ranged from $20 to $10,000, so every one of those gifts are appreciated and is meaningful, not only in the financial aspect, but the vote of confidence that people believe in this,” said Roder. “We need people to be a part of that Capital Campaign fundraising, but we also have to remind people that it takes donations to our operation in order to continue to offer gallery exhibits, concerts, classes, workshops, and community events. That all takes money and when we’re getting Capital donations, we’re putting those aside for the project, so we still need that operating support.”

Roder said that one of the best ways to support the Cultural Center during this time is attending events, sharing the Center’s story, inviting friends and neighbors to attend a concert, become a member, and to donate time, talents, or money to the Center’s future.

“Come to our events, come to our classes, invite people to get involved,” she said. “If you know people that like this sort of thing, tell them about it. Reciprocal relationships are really important. It’s always been part of our value system to support local as much as we can, because we turn around and ask for their support as well, so we’ll continue to do that with this project as well.”